Getting rear-ended can be a harrowing experience. You can be sitting at a red light minding your own business, and suddenly, you can be thrown back into your seat with a bang. In a rear-end collision, you can suffer injuries like whiplash and spinal cord injuries.
On the other hand, if you get rear-ended on a highway, that can open up a whole new world of risks. Your vehicle can spin wildly out of control, and you can end up stationary in the middle of a highway and facing the wrong way. Even if you are able to recover and gain control of your vehicle, things can still go sideways.
You can get lucky and escape the incident with little to no injuries as well, but you have to make sure that you do not take things lightly; in order to avoid liability, you have to follow a proper procedure.
1. Taking Things Lightly
The first and foremost thing that people do is to brush things off after a rear-end collision. If you were sitting at a red light and someone who is not paying attention to their surroundings rolled into you, then there is going to be minimal damage to both of your vehicles, and the chance of injury is also minor.
However, you still have to be responsible and follow the proper procedure. Despite a lack of injuries or minor damage to your vehicles, you have to exchange information. In addition to that, you need to record the scene and ask witnesses about what they saw on video. This will protect you in the future.
2. Not Exchanging Information
The biggest mistake that you can make after a rear-end collision is not to exchange information. You might feel fine after the incident, but you do not have any guarantees that you will not suffer later on. In such an instance, you will have no lead towards the identity of the person who rear-ended you.
In addition to that, if you end up facing any legal complications later on, you will have to bear the brunt of it on your own. This is why you have to make sure that you exchange information with the person who rear-ended you, no matter how minor the accident.
3. Failing to Consult a Lawyer
Another thing that you have to keep in mind after being involved in a rear-end collision is that you have to consult a lawyer. A Rear-End Accident Lawyer will be able to guide you regarding your options in case you have been rear-ended.
On the other hand, your lawyer will also be able to guide you about what you should do if you have rear-ended someone. A consultation will enable you to find out what your next step should be and how you can tackle the situation better in order to avoid liability.
4. Apologizing for No Reason
It is human nature to apologize and to feel bad after an accident. You might blurt out the words that you are sorry without thinking about it too much. What you have to understand is that saying something like that can put you in a compromised position.
It could seem like you are admitting fault for the accident, and that can become an issue for you later on. If you have been recorded saying that you are sorry, it will make it very hard for you to prove in court that you were not at fault. This is why you have to make sure that you refrain from saying anything unnecessary after an accident.
5. Forgetting to Notify the Authorities
If your incident is minor, it is common for people to ignore it. However, you have to make sure that you inform the authorities. By getting the authorities involved, you will be able to get a police report. A police report will help you out a lot when it comes time to get your car repaired.
You can provide a copy of the police report to your insurance provider. If the police report states that you were not at fault, your insurance company will sue the other driver for damages. This will enable you to get your car fixed without a bump in your insurance premium.
6. Failing to Document the Scene
Documenting the scene is a big part of dealing with any road accident that you may have the misfortune to be involved in. By documenting the scene properly, you can protect yourself. This will enable you to prove that you were not at fault for the accident.
Similarly, by documenting the scene, you will also be able to prove your innocence if the other driver tries to sue you for damages. You will have ample evidence to show that you were not at fault for the accident, which will shift the liability away from you.
7. Losing Track of Your Expenses
After a rear-end collision, your vehicle will need some repairs. Depending on the severity of the accident, these repair costs can vary significantly. Regardless of whether you decide to fix your vehicle yourself or go through your insurance provider, there will be some expense involved.
Similarly, if you have suffered an injury in an accident, you have to make sure that you keep all the medical bills on record. By keeping track of your expenses, you will be able to figure out how much the accident cost you. This will be incredibly helpful to you if you decide to sue the other driver.
8. Disregarding the Possibility of Fraud
If you happen to be going along and suddenly end up rear-ending the person next to you, you might be wondering what happened. In such a scenario, it can be incredibly difficult to prove your innocence. There are people on the road who try to defraud and scam others.
The most common way of doing this is by disconnecting the brake lights or by means of brake checking. This way, you end up being forced to pay a settlement, which can be a financial burden. To ensure that such a thing does not happen to you, you should invest in a dash cam.
The footage recorded by a dash cam will help a lot when it comes to proving your innocence in a court of law.
